Individual Basketball Shooting Drills

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Is there a basketball player who doesn't love to shoot? Although games like Horse and Around-the-World are fun, an important element of productive shooting practice is to have a purpose. Once you have developed your shooting form, every shot you take needs to be game-like, so that when you get into a game, you will be consistent.

The following three individual basketball drills can give you the improvement you crave. Perform them three to four times a week along with your regular shooting form work.

Individual Basketball Workouts and Drills

Pivot Shooting

In addition to getting shots up, Pivot Shooting works on your footwork and balance.

Start on the block with your back to the baseline

Spin the ball out so it comes back to you, but so you can jump to it and catch it at the elbow

Catch the ball with both hands, facing forward, with your feet balanced and your body low

Reverse Pivot on your outside foot and shoot

Reverse Pivot on your inside foot and shoot

Turn/Forward Pivot on your outside foot and shoot, making sure not to fade away

Turn/Forward Pivot on your inside foot and shoot, making sure not to fade away

After you finish your jump shots, use a shot fake and drive to the basket with one dribble. Finish with either a normal underhand or overhand layup or with a backhand or reverse layup. Work on every finish you know.

Star Shooting

Star Shooting has more consistent movement and more options. The areas you will attack from are the top of the key, the corners and the wings. The order follows a star pattern: start at the top of the key, then go to the right corner, then to the opposite wing, the other wing and the opposite corner (see diagram). From each spot, you can:

Shoot the three pointer

Dribble in and take a pull-up jumper

Drive for a layup

Start closer and shoot the jumper

Add a shot fake

Rebound your own shot and get to the next spot. At each spot, you can:

Spin the ball out like you did in Pivot Shooting

Dribble and jump stop

Dribble and touch the spot

Variations

Repeat the pattern for a time, such as two minutes

Score in different ways each cycle through

Repeat the pattern until you reach a goal, such as 25 makes

Play 7s using this drill

7s

In this game, you start at zero. Every make adds a point and every miss subtracts a point. Your goal is to reach seven-plus. Zero is the starting point, but if you miss shots, you could end up with a negative number. Use a time limit or a shot limit and shoot from the same spot, or use a drill such as Star Shooting. If you put a limit on yourself and do not finish with seven-plus, for every point under seven, run one down-and-back.